“I could not have asked for a more capable or a more courageous group of commanders than the seven of you,” Axis said. “I thank you with all my heart for what you have done here in Sigholt and for what you have done for me personally. If I emerge victorious then it will be your victory as much as mine. Belial.” He looked at his friend. “To you I owe the greatest debt. You accepted me for what I was when I was consumed with self-doubt about my heritage. You saved my life from Borneheld and engineered not only my escape from Gorkenfort, but the escape of an army as well. You took that force and built me a base here in Sigholt which nothing my enemies enjoy can rival. Belial, my friend,” he reached across the table and gripped Belial’s hand, “I thank you.
“Now.” Axis leaned back and spoke to the rest of the group. “What do we control? What is the state of the Skraelings? Borneheld’s men? What do you know?”
Magariz lifted a map from the rack behind him and unrolled it across the table. His hand swept over the Urqhart Hills in an arc from north to south. “We control most of the Urqhart Hills, except the extreme north and north-west, which the Skraelings occupy. We also dare not approach too close to Hsingard, which the Skraelings have destroyed. The HoldHard Pass is ours, as is the territory spreading south from the Pass to the Nordra. Below the Nordra we can move fairly easily in the northernmost parts of Skarabost, but we do occasionally skirmish with the outer patrols from Jervois Landing in the north-western parts of the Seagrass Plains. We have supply routes stretching into Skarabost, which should remain open unless our access to the Nordra is cut off.” “A good start,” said Axis. “And the rest?” “We face problems from both Gorgrael and Borneheld,” Magariz said slowly. “Intelligence from the farflight scouts shows that Gorgrael builds his forces. We hurt them badly above Gorkenfort, and for months the Skraeling masses were scattered all over Ichtar, too disorganised to push further south. But now Gorgrael has regained control and rebuilt his forces. Skraelings, under firm direction now, mass below Hsingard in an effort to break through Borneheld’s defences at Jervois Landing. A smaller force also builds in the northern WildDog Plains. Gorgrael obviously plans a two-pronged attack into Achar this winter. Not only past Jervois Landing, but also through the WildDog Plains. I only hope Borneheld can hold them at Jervois Landing, because I suspect most of our efforts this winter will be directed at keeping the Skraelings from pushing south through the WildDog Plains.” This was bitter news for Axis. He had hoped to move his own forces into southern Achar during the winter while Borneheld was occupied at Jervois Landing. But now it appeared that if Borneheld was going to be occupied with the Skraelings, so was he. Axis knew he could not let Gorgrael succeed in his push through the WildDog Plains.
But his agreement with the GateKeeper would last only a year and a day before it lapsed and FreeFall would never be reborn. He had to be in Carlon before then.
“And Borneheld?” he asked. “What has he done at Jervois Landing? How has he equipped his forces? What is his strength?”
“Axis, Borneheld now commands over twenty thousand men in Jervois Landing, and…he controls the force as King. Priam died some months ago.”
Axis went rigid with shock. “King?” He took a deep breath. “I can just imagine how Borneheld seized the throne,” he muttered bleakly. Now Borneheld would be immeasurably more dangerous. “But how did he manage to find a force of twenty thousand? How?”
Magariz explained about the Ravensbundmen and the extra forces that Borneheld had scavenged from about Achar. Then, as Axis’ shoulders slumped, he briefly explained about the system of canals Borneheld had ordered built between the Nordra and Azle rivers.
There was silence about the table. After a moment Axis shook his head. “Well, FarSight, your Strike Force should be worth five men each. At least Borneheld has not taken to the air yet – unless there is still more bad news, Magariz?”
Magariz laughed, relieving some of the tension in the room. “No, Axis, Borneheld is still ground-bound. The Strike Force will go far towards evening out our chances.”
Axis nodded. “Then I had better announce my arrival. Shall I stand from atop Sigholt and shout it for all to hear?”
“No,” Azhure said softly. “I have a better way.”
Axis met StarDrifter and MorningStar outside the map-room. As Azhure brushed past, StarDrifter raised his eyebrows.
“A son,” Axis said. “And an Enchanter.”
StarDrifter’s eyes glinted. “I knew she would breed powerful Enchanters, Axis.”
“I do not think of her as a brood mare, StarDrifter,” Axis snapped. “She is Azhure, and I value her as much in her own right as I do for being the mother of my son.” He wheeled away and followed Azhure down the corridor.
StarDrifter watched them go, still bitter and resentful that Azhure had chosen Axis that night, then hurried after them.
As the SunSoars and a group of commanders gathered on the roof of the Keep, Rivkah handed a bundle to Azhure.
“Axis,” Azhure said, “over the past months Rivkah and myself have worked on this whenever we had time. Arne?”
Arne, obviously forewarned, took the bundle from Azhure and walked over to the empty flagpole.
“Now you are here in residence,” Azhure said, “let all know it,” and she turned to Arne.
Axis watched Arne unfold the deep gold material, then his eyes caught Azhure’s. “Thank you,” he whispered.
As Arne raised Axis SunSoar’s standard, the breeze caught the fabric and it unfurled in a shimmer of light. As the golden tunic Azhure had wrought for Axis, so his standard -the deep gold field with the blood-red sun blazing in the centre. All stood and watched it whip and crack in the sun.
“The command is yours, Axis,” Belial said formally. “I have done my best. Now it is yours to do your best with.”
Trying to control his emotions, Axis strode to the wall and gazed over the valley. He could hardly reconcile what he saw there with the Sigholt of before. The Lake of Life had truly lived up to her name, and now new life bloomed all about the Lake and Keep. Late summer roses were even starting to crawl up the silvery walls of the Keep. Sigholt was truly alive.
He looked closely at the camps spreading around the edge of the Lake, then at the practice fields where units were engaged in their mid-morning combat training. Eventually, more and more of them noticed the standard high above their heads, and eventually they fell still. Axis raised a hand, and a faint cheer reached his ears.
“I cannot wait to begin, my friends, but there is one more thing I must do before I rejoin my command.” Axis gave a single sharp whistle, and stared into the sun.
“What are you doing?” asked StarDrifter.
“I await my wings,” Axis replied, motioning for silence.
All eyes turned to the sun.
Very slowly – and the Icarii with their extraordinary vision were the first to see it – a black spot spiralled out of the sun.
He spiralled down out of the sun, escaping its blazing fury. He was alive and he rejoiced in that life, although he had no memory of the state of death or of his previous life. He simply rejoiced in the freedom of the unlimited sky and the heat of the sun on his wingbacks as he plummeted further and further down to the green and blue earth below him.
Gradually he realised he had to go somewhere, meet someone. He pulled himself out of his crazy dive and scanned the earth below. The glint of the Lake and silver grey of the Keep caught his eye, and he soared in a gigantic loop above them. An exultant scream left his throat.
All below heard the eagle’s cry and watched as it tipped its wings and drifted towards Axis. He laughed in sheer delight and extended his left arm, whistling once more.
In a flurry of white and silver feathers the eagle landed on his arm, both fighting for a moment to keep their balance.
StarDrifter stared in amazement. No-one had ever tamed a snow eagle previously. And this was half as large again as most snow eagles, though coloured like all its kind with white and silver feathers, and black eyes, beak and talons.
“Axis?” MorningStar finally managed to ask.
“He is my eyes in the sky, my wings, my voice as I need a voice,” said Axis, explaining nothing at all. “He is a gift from the UnderWorld.”
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
WolfStar’s Story» s the eagle preened itself on the parapet wall, Axis JLA asked for time to speak to MorningStar and his JL JLparents privately. He touched Azhure’s cheek as she turned to go; the gesture was lost on none.